Sustainable Sex

Disclaimer:

I am not a scientist or in any way an expert in the field of sexual health, nor do I want to tell you what to do and what not to do with your body.

I am simply sharing this on a truly personal note because I wish someone had shared this information with me earlier. In my opinion, there is no need to make this a taboo on my blog, as sexual health and wellness is something we all deal with. Feel absolutely free to continue this conversation in the comment section below or write me an email via itsthewastedblog@gmail.com if you don’t want to post your comment publicly.

Is there such a thing as sustainable sex?

Before I started living a Zero Waste lifestyle, sustainability in sex was something I never even considered. I used regular condoms, lubricant and sex toys just like most people do, without ever thinking about the ingredients, the material and the fact that we are not spared from carcinogens and other toxins when it comes to sexual wellness products.

When I switched to living a Zero Waste lifestyle, I not only changed my period routine but also started to pay attention to what sexual wellness products I used and found alternatives for the ones I no longer wanted to have in my home. Here is what I changed:

Contraception

I wrote a post about my experience with IUDs here but have since had it removed due to an infection scare that turned out to be a mistake by the doctor. It, however, scared me enough that I wanted to keep anything out of my vagina for a while.

Since I am in a monogamous relationship, I have now switched to a diaphragm, which is a shallow silicone cup that is inserted into the vagina before sex. Additionally, I track my cycle via the Clue app which is not only perfect for tracking your periods but also your mood, energy, exercise, collecting method etc and is a real asset to understanding your body and menstrual cycle better.

For the occasional passionate moment around a fertile window, I use sustain condoms as they are nitrosamine free and I love the brand’s sex positive message.

Reusables in the bedroom

I switched to all natural sex toy options (more about that on my Friday post), which, at the same time, support companies that promote a sex-positive approach to equality within sexual wellness, which- obviously- I am all for.

After sex, I ditch single-use tissues and use a reusable napkin that I can simply put in the wash after use. So much cleaner.

Lubricant

Coconut oil is a really great option for lubricant. Not only does it work so well, smell good and can be used with every method of birth control, it is also anti-bacterial, 100 % natural and moisturizing which helps prevent ingrown hairs for a little bonus.

I always keep a jar under my bed for easy access 🙂

Sidenote: When using lubricant with condoms, it is highly suggested not to use oil-based lubricants, which makes coconut oil a no go. Instead, I highly recommend the organic, water-based lubricant by Sustain Natural.

Pelvic floor exercises – Do your Kegels

Training the pelvic floor muscles is not only important for preventative measures and to tone your core. Studies have suggested that pelvic floor muscle strength may be related to increased sensation and sexual satisfaction.

In the beginning, doing Kegels felt really uncomfortable as I didn’t know if I was doing them right and whether it was working. I discovered yoni eggs, which are really helpful for figuring out which muscles need to be activated and they are very helpful when it comes to tightening the area. I will say nothing more but that I absolutely loved the result.

A word about safety

Whether you’re having casual sex or are in a committed relationship, protection should always be part of the conversation.

STD’s very unsustainable and annoying so why would we put ourselves into that position if we don’t have to.

Maika Hollander of Sustain Natural said in an Interview: “Your sexual health is a critical part of your overall health. So if you are eating organic food, living Zero Waste, working out, making sure your mental health is in check, if you’re putting your sexual health at risk, you are just putting everything at risk.” I 100% agree.

If you enjoyed this post about sustainable sex, be sure to stop by on Friday for one of my favorite posts and the cheekiest giveaway on my blog yet.

8 Comments

What a fantastically sensible and well positioned post! This topic needs to be openly discussed more among sensible adults so people can know the options and make their own choices. Love the coconut oil tip, going to try that one out 😉

Thank you very much for this sweet comment, Justine. I have to admit, I had to give putting myself out there like that a little bit of thought but at the end of the day we all have questions and I see nothing wrong with sharing and receiving information and having an open dialogue about it, no matter the topic. ☀️

This is pretty interesting, I was only thinking about this the other day. I recently read an article about the materials that they use to create some of the cheaper, budget sex toys and how they are often full of toxic materials.

In fact, many of the women using them even complained of serious chemical burns etc. If that’s not bad enough, most of those toys are only designed to last a few months and then are chucked away.

The waste is HUGE. That’s why we started looking into higher end male toys like Fleshlight and female toys like the nicer rabbit toys. Most of those can last practically a lifetime if they are cared for carefully.

Thank you so much for your comment. I absolutely agree with you and I also never really thought about this topic before going Zero Waste and basically questioning everything 🙂 I also think that is is a more sustainable – and in the long haul cheaper- option to look for quality products, good for you that you found something you like 🌼